1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic clutch control device that automatically connects/disconnects a clutch disposed between an output shaft of a power source of a vehicle and an input shaft of a transmission of the vehicle, when a shift operation is performed by the transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
There has conventionally been known an automatic clutch control device provided with a clutch connecting/disconnecting actuator for driving a clutch, disposed between an output shaft of a power source of a vehicle and an input shaft of a transmission, so as to be connected and disconnected, wherein, not by an operation of a clutch pedal by a driver but by the clutch connecting/disconnecting actuator, a disconnecting operation for changing the state of the clutch from a connecting state to a disconnecting state is executed before the transmission starts the shift operation and a connecting operation for changing the state of the clutch from the disconnecting state to the connecting state is executed after the shift operation is completed (for example, see the following patent documents 1 and 2).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO60-44641
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. HEI9-79374
However, the above-mentioned patent documents 1 and 2 that disclose a conventional device of this type do not teach a method for setting/changing a speed of the connecting operation or a speed of the disconnecting operation executed by the clutch connecting/disconnecting actuator, whereby the conventional device has a problem that, even if there is a request for changing the speed of the connecting operation or the speed of the disconnecting operation of the clutch according to the running state of a vehicle such as a road condition on which the vehicle runs, the speed of the connecting operation and the speed of the disconnecting operation cannot suitably be changed in accordance with the request.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic clutch control device capable of suitably changing a speed of a connecting operation or a speed of a disconnecting operation in accordance with a running state of a vehicle.